Eternal ideas in an eternal city.
Discover carefully curated public lectures, author talks, debates and intellectual events in Rome, Italy — selected by The Mindful City editorial team.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Hans Ulrich Obrist · Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica · September 15, 2026
Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist offers a perspective on the evolving role of graphic media in global contemporary art and public discourse. The talk will survey collaborative projects a…
Enrico Letta · Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia · September 15, 2026
Former Prime Minister Enrico Letta discusses the relationship between democratic institutions, European integration, and cultural policy. He argues for strengthening public engagem…
Marina Abramović · American Academy in Rome · September 15, 2026
Marina Abramović discusses the legacy of live performance and its role in shaping contemporary public space. The lecture includes a short conversation with Academy fellows and audi…
Paul Krugman · Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" · September 15, 2026
An analysis of current macroeconomic trends affecting Europe and policy proposals to address rising inequality. Krugman will situate short-term monetary issues within longer-term s…
Margaret Atwood · American Academy in Rome · September 15, 2026
Margaret Atwood reads from recent work and discusses how fiction can shape public conversation about climate change. The lecture will include a short reading followed by audience Q…
Simon Schama · British School at Rome · September 15, 2026
Historian Simon Schama explores how historians and artists have imagined the histories of cities, with a focus on Rome as a living archive. The talk will blend visual materials wit…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 15, 2026
A lecture exploring how modern Rome remembers and reinvents its classical past, from antiquity to contemporary public spaces. Mary Beard will trace narratives of memory and contest…
Simon Schama · American Academy in Rome · September 15, 2026
Historian Simon Schama explores the intersections of visual art and historical narrative across Europe from the Renaissance to the present. The lecture will include a Q&A and a sho…
Carlo Rovelli · Università La Sapienza · September 15, 2026
Physicist Carlo Rovelli presents recent developments in quantum gravity and their philosophical implications for our notion of time. The lecture is followed by a student-led discus…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 15, 2026
A public lecture exploring how ancient Roman and Greek texts continue to shape contemporary debates about identity and public life. Mary Beard will draw on recent archaeological di…
Colm Tóibín · Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica · September 15, 2026
Colm Tóibín explores the relationship between visual art and literary narrative in modern European culture. He will read excerpts from recent work and discuss how images shape char…
Timothy Snyder · Università La Sapienza · September 15, 2026
Historian Timothy Snyder offers a lecture on the historical patterns that threaten democratic institutions and what citizens can do to respond. This is a free public event hosted b…
Jhumpa Lahiri · American Academy in Rome · September 15, 2026
Jhumpa Lahiri reads selections from her recent work and speaks about language, translation, and belonging in a multilingual Europe. The event will close with an audience Q&A and bo…
Carlo Rovelli · Università La Sapienza · September 15, 2026
Physicist Carlo Rovelli discusses how scientific ideas about space and time inspire new narrative forms and public engagement with science. The talk will be followed by a student Q…
Carlo Rovelli · Università di Roma 'La Sapienza' · September 15, 2026
An accessible lecture on recent developments in quantum gravity and their implications for how we think about space and time. Rovelli will connect advanced physics to wider cultura…
Carenza Lewis · British School at Rome · September 15, 2026
An illustrated talk on participatory fieldwork and local engagement in Mediterranean archaeology. Carenza Lewis discusses projects that connect communities with their archaeologica…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 15, 2026
A public lecture exploring how classical antiquity shapes modern civic identity and public debate. Mary Beard will reflect on case studies from archaeology, literature, and museum …
Mary Beard · American Academy in Rome · September 15, 2026
Mary Beard presents on contemporary receptions of classical texts and the responsibilities of classicists in public debate. The event includes commentary from Academy fellows and a…
Daniel Barenboim · Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia · September 15, 2026
Conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim explores the role of music in forming collective memory and civic identity across twentieth- and twenty-first-century Europe. The lecture wil…
Mary Beard · British School at Rome · September 15, 2026
Classicist Mary Beard reflects on the reception and reinterpretation of Roman monuments from antiquity to the present day. She will discuss how public memory and modern urban life …